A Deadly Affair in the Dales by Maria Malone

A Deadly Affair in the Dales

 by Maria Malone




A Deadly Affair in the Dales by Maria Malone was published on 14th August 2025 by No Exit Press/

My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to

Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour






Synopsis


Meet Sergeant Ali Wren and her trusty companion Officer Police Dog Wilson, a springer spaniel with a nose for trouble. Together they serve the small Yorkshire town of Heft, where everyone knows everyone else’s business. And if they don’t, that’s a cause for concern… Ali, who has just returned home to Heft, needs all her diplomatic skills, not to mention a huge sense of humour, to navigate the requirements of her job. Drama lurks around every corner, from rogue parking in the disabled bays to a feud between the long-established Hooley bakery and a fancy new ‘cakery bakery’. When Brian Bright reports his wife Melody missing, at first Ali thinks it’s just another routine case. The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that Melody has simply left, tired of playing a supporting role to Brian’s obsession with classic cars and his first (dead) wife. But something niggles. When Ali and Wilson doggedly continue their investigation, they find there was more to Melody than anyone realised – and more to her disappearance too



 

My Thoughts




This is one of those easy murder mystery books that are ideal when you don’t want a gory, disturbing read. For those of you who are fans of Julia Chapman’s  Dales Detective series these are on a par for ease of reading. 

Each “Yorkshire” character brings something of their own to the book to add to the tapestry that makes up village life. I must admit , as a Yorkshire girl born and bred, to trying to work out which Yorkshire habitations were used as the settings for the plot which was amusing. There are also some very tongue in cheek references to a certain long running tv programme that will make you smile.

I really enjoyed this book and I do hope that it is the start of a long running series for Allie and Wilson.



About Maria




Born in the North-East, Maria Malone has worked in print journalism and television. She has written TV companion books and ghosted autobiographies for extraordinary people. She is a former Yorkshire Press Awards Journalist of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Delegate by Ali Carter

Image
The Delegate by Ali Carter   What a tangled web she weaved…   The Delegate by Ali Carter was  published on 29th November 2022 by Matador. My thanks to the author and publisher who sent me a copy and Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.      Synopsis Charlotte… Having been sprung by Mafia family the Zandini’s on a day release the previous year, and managing to ‘despatch’ one of their enemies in New York (plus a few extras), ex killer G.P> Charlotte Peterson was now securely back inside Rampton high Security Hospital. However, her work was unfinished and a second escape quite out of the question. It was why she had the need of a delegate. A killer to complete a very important job…someone she’d control. Annie… She had found the perfect person in Annie. A woman who felt cheated. A woman who was mentally and emotionally scarred in exactly the same way Charlotte had been throughout her own life. Annie was fully ripe for manipulation in t...
Read more

Tristan /Yseulte by Harry Bonelle

Image
 Tristan /Yseulte  by Harry Bonelle Tristan/ Yseult by Harry Bonelle  was published on 31st january 2024 by Unicorn. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours  for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Tristan/Yseult is a narrative poem about the yearning for oneness in a world split into fragments. A duel on an empty island sets the course for one of the greatest romances ever told. As the lovers of legend meet, something new is born, and something eternal is revealed. Their names will forever be spoken as one. This modern retelling of Tristan and Yseult sheds a stark light on the beauty of the Celtic tale. “Harry Bonelle’s new version taps into the dark and furious energy of the old saga, surging and juddering with life. Bonelle’s actor’s training has encouraged him to liberate the performance piece that its original author must have intended. Thrilling on the page, but even more so spoken loud....
Read more

Danger With Lashings Of Caviar by Liz Hinds

Image
  Danger With Lashings Of Caviar  by Liz Hinds Danger With Lashings Of Caviar was published on 20th March 2024. My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis When Tabby wakes up in a rubbish skip - again - she decides the time has come for action. The bad guys might have got away with it so far but it's time to turn the tables. With the help of her mum, a disgraced policeman, a farting dog, and two homeless friends Tabby is determined to bring the handsome criminal millionaire to justice. And she was only supposed to be making a few sandwiches. My Review This is the first book in the Tabitha's Table mystery series and if this first book is anything to go by it should prove to be a tongue in cheek cosy mystery set of books that will have you laughing out loud. At times you will be asking yourself "Really" whilst at other times you will be taking in the light hearted way that ...
Read more